


you look at me and say nothing, nothing again

by ace8013



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Air Nomads (Avatar), Ember Island (Avatar), Episode: s03e17 The Ember Island Players, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Trans Aang, Trans Character, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:48:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25102690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ace8013/pseuds/ace8013
Summary: “And I'm not a woman,” Aang whispered, eyes on his feet.or,trans aang rights
Relationships: Aang & Gyatso, Aang & Katara (Avatar), Aang & The Gaang (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 274





	you look at me and say nothing, nothing again

**Author's Note:**

> trans aang rights! the picks up during the scene in ember island players, and the first few lines of dialogue are the same. this is just me projecting onto aang for ??? words
> 
> title from chigasaki warriors by paper idol

“Are you alright?” 

“No, I'm not! I hate this play!” Aang threw his hat to the ground.

“I know it's upsetting, but it sounds like you're overreacting,” Katara said as she approached the balcony railing to join him.

“Overreacting? If I hadn't blocked my chakra, I'd probably be in the Avatar State right now!” Aang shouted, waving his hands around. 

Katara was quiet.

“And I'm  _ not  _ a woman,” Aang whispered, eyes on his feet.

Katara placed her hand on his shoulder gently. “I know you're not. It's just for a stupid play. They do that a lot with characters like you.”

Aang’s head snapped up, eyes narrowed in uncharacteristic anger. “What do you mean 'characters like me’?!’”

Katara pulled her hand away. “I just meant… I just meant kids. It happens a lot with young male characters, probably because of the ‘flying’ too. Plus, Toph was right. You're more of a feminine guy than like Sokka or Zuko,” she explained quietly. 

“Great,” Aang bit back, voice sharp with sarcasm. “Just what I've always wanted to be perceived as! Feminine!”

“Aang, it's not a necessarily bad thing—” Katara started.

“You don't understand, Katara!” Aang turned his back to her. 

“Then help me understand, Aang.” She reached down and took his hand in hers. “I want to be able to understand you.”

Aang sighed quietly. “Katara, I'm sorry. But it's hard. You'll never be able to understand what it's like to have to fight to be seen as who you are for your whole life. Do you know how hard it is? To be a completely different person from who people think you are? Who they want you to be?”

He thought back to the air temples, and the monks that Aang had grown up among. They had been accepting of a lot of things, sure, but some of them hadn't been as open-minded as the others. Only one person’s opinion had mattered to him anyways.

The day Aang had approached Monk Gyatso and told him that Aang was to be his new name, and that he'd chosen it himself, Gyatso had sat in silence for a moment. Then Gyatso had nodded, and said, “Very good choice, Aang. Now come help me with this bison saddle!” And he had continued on like nothing had changed. 

Some of the other monks had difficulties  _ adjusting _ , as it were, fumbling with his name, or grouping him with the girls by accident.

The other children at the temple adjusted fairly quickly. But some of the young girls became distant in their friendships with Aang, and the boys treated him differently than they did each other. The distance between Aang and his peers only grew with the announcement that he was the new incarnation of the avatar.

Being able to introduce himself as Aang upon being broken out of the iceberg, and Katara and Sokka not knowing him by any other name, filled Aang with an exhilaration unlike any other he'd felt before.

He’d had to tell his water tribe friends his history after a while, but they had taken it in stride, just like Gyatso had. It was then he knew the three of them would be lifelong friends.

Aang was sure Toph knew. There wasn't much he could hide from her, even with her being blind. She never said anything about it to Aang, though, so he never brought it up with her. 

He'd probably have to tell Zuko and Suki eventually. Aang didn't know what Sokka had already told Suki—he really was a terrible liar when questioned—but even though Zuko’s acceptance into their group had been a rocky start, since Aang’s firebending lessons had begun, he and Zuko had started becoming very good friends. Aang trusted Zuko with his life, which meant that he trusted Zuko with his secrets, too.

“You're right.” Katara’s words snapped Aang out of his thoughts. “I can't understand what it's like. I know it's hard, though. You know I'm here for you, right? We all are.”

Aang turned to face Katara and gave her a small smile. “I know,” he whispered.

“You're one of the strongest people I know, Aang. And not just in terms of bending,” she joked. “But seriously. You are.”

He returned her smile. “I'm still allowed to hate the play, though, right?”

“Oh, of course, we all hate it. It's awful, and not just because of the casting.” Her brow scrunched up in thought. “Although, Toph seems to be enjoying it.”

“Of course she is.” Aang laughed, tapping absentmindedly on the balcony railing. “Toph loves making fun of us enough, she's been presented with opportunity!” He joked.

“I guess you're right.” Katara bent down and picked up Aang’s hat, which she then handed to him. “We should probably get back inside for the next act.”

“Ugh. Do we have to?” Aang groaned, facepalming.

“Come on. We can laugh at how stupid the dialogue is.” She took a few steps towards the door, beckoning for Aang to follow.

“Okay,” he muttered, pulling his hat on and adjusting it to cover his arrow tattoo. 

-

“There you guys are!” Sokka exclaimed as Aang and Katara walked into the hallway where the group was sitting. “Come on! The third act is about to start.” He waved them all towards the theater door. 

Zuko grumbled about the play being stupid but headed back to his seat nonetheless, with an excited Toph on his heels, while Suki laughed at them.

When Aang had passed through the doorway to their seats, Sokka stopped Katara.

“He okay?” he asked his sister.

She nodded solemnly. “We had a talk. But I think he'll be okay for now.”

“About what?” Sokka questioned.

“Stuff. He's really upset about the play.” Katara answered, giving him a knowing look.

He nodded, looking towards the door where their friends had exited the hallway. “It's good that you talked. That's probably something he should talk out, you know?”

She nodded, then gestured for him to re-enter the theater. 

-

Aang looked up at the siblings from his seat with a questioning look as they entered. Katara smiled, a ‘don't worry’ sort of look. Aang nodded and sunk down in his seat as the curtains opened.

_ She looks nothing like you.  _ Aang told himself.  _ It's a stupid play. It doesn't mean anything.  _ Aang closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and was calm. Surrounded by his friends, people he trusted, and they were safe, at least for a few days. He could be at peace.

Gyatso would've been incredibly proud of where he was now, emotionally, with himself and with others. Aang just knew it. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> visit me on twitter  
> @THINKFVST


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